An embodiment relates generally to vehicle refueling warning system.
Vehicle low fuel warning systems are typically monitored by an analog gauge which measures the remaining fuel within the gas tank and then provides a warning to the vehicle driver of a “low fuel” warning. The warning may be triggered by either by a predetermined level of fuel in the fuel tank or may be triggered by a controller determining the estimated miles remaining based on fleet miles per gallon averages or on recent driving conditions. In response to either method, the warning is provided to the driver in which the driver must refuel the vehicle prior to the vehicle traveling beyond the driving range or prior to using the remaining amount of fuel in the vehicle.
A driver typically refuels their vehicle at one or more known and convenient fueling stations which the driver is comfortable with the location and knows approximately the price of gas at that fueling station. More specifically, the refueling station is typically en-route on one of the driver's customary commuting paths. However, waiting until the low fuel warning provided by a conventional vehicle may not afford the vehicle driver the choice of refueling the vehicle at one of their customary fueling stations. Various smart gas gauges have been known to alert drivers when their vehicle is within a vicinity of the refueling station; however, many of these systems use navigation data provided by a GPS system or the like. This additional equipment requires additional and complex hardware at an added cost.